Dear Weekly fashion team,
I love to go out with my girlfriends on a Friday night after work and I always take my "after work drink" shoes. They look amazing, but after about 20 minutes they are not very comfortable. Can you suggest how I can help my poor feet out?
I hope you can help!
Lauren, Brisbane
Answer:
Hi Lauren,
Thanks for your question. It is a problem that many of us face when going to a wedding or, like you, out for drinks or dinner straight from work: "How am I going to stand in these things for the whole night?"
When you wear your heels, as beautiful as they might be, they cause your body's centre of gravity to shift, placing a large amount of pressure on the balls of the feet which can be very painful. But there are a few simple things you can do to help keep your feet from failing you.
Brenden Brown from the Australian Podiatry Association suggests wearing your high heels for the shortest amount of time possible. "If you are going out or to a wedding in your heels, try not to wear them for the whole day. Change into them on your way to the venue and avoid walking long distances in them," he says.
He also suggests placing gel inserts into your shoes to cushion the impact on your feet. Try Scholl's Party Feet Gel Cushions or Ultra Slim Gel Cushions (www.partyfeet.com.au) for handy and discreet pads that you can place on the insoles of your shoes to soften the blow of pounding the pavement.
When you get home from drinks, try to stretch out the backs of your legs; your hamstrings, calf muscles and Achilles tendon to prevent long-term (and irreversible) damage to your legs.
We hope that helps you out.
The Weekly fashion team